A British drama; A story about a man who rises from a slum to the height of cut-throat big business in London. Returning home, and under the strain of his father's death he cracks and he begins to confront his demons. Based on Patrick Hall's novel, "The Harp that Once", a slice of British realism, the film is about a prodigal son returning home. It is an unflinching exploration of the British class system. Nicol Williamson gives a muscular performance showing self-pity and self-loathing and revenge, a man of few redeeming qualities. It's a film that avoids a debt to convention, but it says very little about the place of women in its character study. The fast editing creates a furious narrative pace but it is a touch too long.